Green Milkweed
Asclepias viridis
The quiet milkweed for dry, rocky ground, with greenish-white blooms and purple-tinged hoods. Often the only monarch host in those habitats.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 AM – 2 PM
An uncommon milkweed for dry, rocky sites where even butterfly weed struggles. adds diversity to the monarch habitat palette.
Green milkweed is one of the quieter members of the milkweed family: modest in height, understated in color with its green and white flower heads, but genuinely important in the native ecosystem. It grows in dry prairies and rocky glades where it's often one of the only milkweed species present, making it the primary monarch host plant in those habitats. The flowers are distinctive: clusters of small greenish-white blooms with purple-tinged hoods that are much more interesting up close than from a distance. For gardeners building a diverse pollinator habitat, green milkweed fills a specific ecological role: monarch habitat on dry, rocky, or sandy soils where common milkweed and butterfly weed may or may not establish.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown green milkweed propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- Late spring, midsummer
- Bloom color
- White, Green
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Native range
- Eastern and Central United States
Care notes for green milkweed.
Full sun in dry, rocky, or sandy well-drained soil. Requires excellent drainage. does not tolerate wet or heavy clay conditions. Deep taproot; difficult to transplant. Very slow to emerge in spring. Completely drought-tolerant once established. No fertilizing needed in poor soils.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside green milkweed.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Skyline Drive Package
This package celebrates the world renowned “Skyline Drive” by featuring native plant species encountered along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.
Piedmont Rain Garden Package
For homeowners with a yard that floods when it rains, this package is your solution! The Piedmont Swale Garden Package is comprised of flood tolerant species that will thrive in wet soils.
Exceptional Patio Garden Package
The Exceptional Patio Garden Package is a low maintenance, fool proof way to guarantee an endless color show for you and your guests to enjoy all patio season long.